


Secret Husbands

by tennesseebedward



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, Memory Magic, Pensieves, Secret Marriage, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:48:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24583303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tennesseebedward/pseuds/tennesseebedward
Summary: While gathering intel on Voldemort's past, Harry thought he was prepared for anything. He was not prepared for a wedding.
Relationships: Abraxas Malfoy/Tom Riddle
Comments: 4
Kudos: 55
Collections: Solstice Flashfest





	Secret Husbands

**Author's Note:**

  * For [limeta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/limeta/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [limeta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/limeta/pseuds/limeta) in the [Solstice_Flashfest](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Solstice_Flashfest) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> I just want a fic where Dumbledore talks abt how Voldemort cannot love, meanwhile the man has been married for 40 years.

Harry Potter thought he was prepared for anything. He knew to expect anything. Albus Dumbledore had made that plenty clear.

“The Dark Lord cannot be underestimated, Harry.” Harry had never heard Dumbledore sound so grave. “He’s fully incapable of love and empathy. If you do go through with this, I want you to be ready to possibly witness heinous things.”

“Anything we can learn about him can be helpful.” Harry knew the risks of exploring memories. Graphic details could be heightened, worsened. But horrific information could still be useful. “I want to see it.”

Still, as he waited for Dumbledore to set up the Hogwarts pensive, Harry couldn’t help but get nervous. He had no idea what memory he was about to see. How bad things might get. Voldemort was once willing to kill a baby, after all. What had he done to get to that point?

“Want some?”

Harry smelled the flask of brandy before he saw it. “No. Thank you.”

Thoros Nott shrugged. “Thought it might help.”

Thoros took a sip. In terms of pureblooded hierarchies, the Notts were largely neutral. Thoros had been allied with Lord Voldemort -- all of the Sacred Twenty-Eight were, in some capacity. But the Malfoys and the Blacks had a much more significant stake in the Dark Lord’s rise. The Notts waited until it was absolutely necessary to engage with him. This is why Thoros volunteered his memories for study in the first place. If the Death Eaters lost another war, at least the Notts would remain in good standing.

“If it helps,” Thoros said, “you won’t see anything too grisly. The Dark Lord saw me as a servant, not an equal. I never saw him kill anyone.”

Harry frowned. “Dumbledore said you were close.”

“Dumbledore doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” Thoros screwed the top of his flask shut. “At the very least, he needs better information. Abraxas Malfoy was close to the Dark Lord, and I was close to Abraxas. There’s a difference.”

At that moment, Dumbledore opened the door to his office. Harry stood up. Thoros remained in his seat.

“It’s time.” Dumbledore placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Good luck, Harry.”

Harry nodded. There was no turning back now.

* * *

Harry Potter thought he was prepared for anything.

He was not prepared for a wedding.

It took him a moment to even realize it was a wedding. It, at first, seemed like an unbreakable vow ceremony. The positions were right -- Voldemort and Abraxas holding hands, Thoros serving as their intermediate -- as were the words being said. Then Harry noticed the smaller details around them. The sparse decorations throughout a grand ballroom. The suits Voldemort and Abraxas wore. The relative expression of joy on Thoros’s face. Nothing about this ceremony seemed ominous.

“Would either of you like to add anything?” Thoros asked.

“Oh, Merlin, now you’ve done it,” Abraxas joked. “Get ready for a lecture.”

Voldemort laughed. When had he ever laughed?

“I don’t plan on making a lecture,” Voldemort began. “If anything, I could make you an apology. I know you wanted a grander ceremony. I know you wanted more people here. I know you wanted a cake, at least. I’m sorry we couldn’t have any of that. But we can make it up in the years to come. Because we will have years to come, Abraxas.”

Thoros nodded. He turned to Abraxas.

“I, too, won’t make this long,” Abraxas said. “I could ramble about you for hours, _mon chou,_ or the long, long road to get here. You certainly never made things easy.” 

Thoros chuckled a little at this. Voldemort smiled. Harry had never seen him smile.

“But I am happy with this.” Abraxas tightened his grip on Voldemort’s hand. “Ceremonies are for show. I just want to be here with you, Tom. No matter what, I want to be here with you. And that’s all I want you to know.”

Voldemort tightened his grip in return. Their hands glowed as the unbreakable vow was formed.

It took a moment for the glow to fully die down. But when it did, Abraxas and Voldemort leaned forward and kissed. Thoros started clapping. The sound gradually became muffled as the scene faded out.

* * *

Harry pulled his head up from the pensieve. He turned to find Dumbledore and Thoros waiting for him.

“Well?” Dumbledore asked.

Harry looked at Dumbledore, then at the pensieve. He then turned back to Dumbledore.

“You may need to see this for yourself, sir.” Harry stepped to the side. “Just to get a...better idea about who we’re up against.”

Dumbledore looked momentarily confused, but it passed. He had to remain the face of strength, in case Harry was in shock. He walked over to the pensieve and dipped his face in.

Harry turned to Thoros. “You could’ve just told him the Dark Lord was married.”

“Yes, I could’ve.” Thoros agreed. He looked at Dumbledore in the midst of witnessing Voldemort’s wedding. “But seeing his reaction will be funnier.” 


End file.
